TDT
by VLH5589
Summary: No summary. No slash. Take a chance!
1. Chapter 1

**TDT**

**This is my first BBT fanfic. Special thanks to my mom and my sister, AppleBlossom844, for their help in editing and proofing. All other errors are mine alone. Furthermore, I own nothing. Chuck Lorre and CBS have the honor of producing/owning BBT. All other characters, ideas, businesses and objects are the property of their respective owners.**

**Chapter One**

"Dude, how can you possibly believe that the next Batman villain will be Poison Ivy?" Raj asked Howard. The little man grinned widely.

"How can you not? Think about it, Amy Adams in a little green outfit. With Rachael Dawes dead, they need some new eye candy for this movie."

"It'd be a better choice than going with Cat Woman." Leonard offered. The three of them shuddered at the memory of the Halle Berry movie. Even Howard agreed that the leather unitard could not save that disaster. "And Heath Ledger's dead, so the Joker's out. That means that they can't bring Harley Quinn into the series." Leonard continued. Leonard looked at his watch and let out a slow breath.

Sheldon and Stuart reignited their old debate about the true heir of Batman, and yes, Sheldon was batting French phrases about. Raj sighed. The three of them tried to break this up three times now. Each time retreating and beginning a new discussion. They'd even discussed Superman's strength capabilities at night. Howard muttered something about the energy storage capacity of Kryptonian skin cells. Really, who would put that in a comic book?

At length, Leonard suggested that they wait for Sheldon to realize that his schedule was imperiled. After more than seven years, Leonard had come to respect the power of that schedule. It was sort of like the book of Leviticus, all the laws and punishments neatly laid out. Nearly as severe too.

While Sheldon and Stuart showed no inclinations of ending their argument, others were inclined to leave the comic book store. The door swung back and forth as patrons quietly left, leaving only the most dedicated comic book aficionados. All of them lonely men, most were over forty, and two still lived with their mothers. The surprise was all the greater when a woman entered the store and spoke at the counter.

"Forgive me for intruding; however I am in need of some assistance. You wouldn't happen to keep a phone book around, would you?" Everyone, from Stuart to Captain Sweat Pants stared. The woman shifted uncomfortably. She slouched slightly to disguise her tall frame, dark blonde hair curling gently at her shoulders. Blue eyes in a pale face scanned the shop and then drilled Stuart. She leaned on the counter. "Please, I wouldn't ask if it were not important." She added. Stuart turned and quickly started fishing under the register.

"Sure, sure." Stuart started.

"Do you not possess a cell phone? The web feature would speed your search." Sheldon asked.

"I do." The woman replied, taking the object out of a pocket, looking at the blank screen, and re-pocketing the device. "It died." After rifling through various supplies and old promotion flyers, Stuart produced the phone book. The woman flipped strait to P. Howard swaggered up to the counter, looking at the woman as a potential future Mrs. Wolowitz. Raj came and stood a little behind him.

"What are you looking for?" Stuart asked craning his neck. "A pharmacy? There's a Walgreens not far from here."

"While that's nice to know, no." She looked around, the others had gathered around. She sighed silently. "I'm searching for a pawn shop. I'm stranded here in Pasadena and I need to raise funds to support myself during my stay."

Raj whispered into Howard's ear.

"Raj says that Crown City's really good. They're on Colorado." Howard relayed and Raj nodded.

"Raj, how is she going to get to Colorado from here?" Sheldon asked. Raj frowned and shrugged.

"You've been to a pawn shop?" Leonard's brow furrowed. Raj nodded curtly, and whispered to Howard.

"It was during the week that he lost his funding and feared that he'd be deported." Howard supplied.

"Do you know where you're staying?" Stuart asked. The woman shook her head.

"Not yet. I passed a shelter. I haven't asked if they have a bed available."

"Oh good Lord! Those places are crawling with the accumulated germs of hundreds of people."

"Not every place outside of your apartment is a diseased cesspit, Sheldon. Unless you have another suggestion?" Stuart asked heatedly, crossing his arms. This was like the Knights of the Round Table all rushing to a damsel in distress and he'd be damned if he didn't join in.

"I take it that you don't have friends here in Pasadena." Leonard said to the stranger.

"No, I don't. Really, the shelter is my only option. I don't think that I can get enough cash to stay at a motel. You said that Crown City is on Colorado?" She turned to Raj and Howard. Raj nodded. The woman flipped to the maps in the front of the book and nodded to herself.

"It seems I must get going if I'm going to make it before closing. Thank you, gentlemen, for your assistance." She said turning to leave. Leonard stepped forward.

"We'll drive you." He said smiling, if just a little too much.

"Really?" She asked, incredulous. She quickly calculated odds in her head.

"Yes, really. We'd be happy to do it." He looked at a surprised Sheldon. "I'm Leonard Hofstadter, and that's Sheldon Cooper, this is Raj Koothrappali and this is Howard Wolowitz." He said gesturing around to each of his friends who waved in return.

"I'm Stuart Thompson." An eager face asserted, annoyed at being left out. The woman nodded to him with a small smile and returned her attention to Leonard.

"Ada." She offered her hand cautiously.

"Ada…?" Leonard let her name hang in the air.

"Mason." Ada replied, almost tripping the name.

"Ah Ada, the adorned one." Howard almost cooed up to Ada.

"Perhaps I should take the bus." Ada arched an eyebrow and retracted her hand. Sheldon groaned.

"You seem to prefer to make one dangerous decision after another. Really, Wolowitz is harmless, while the on the bus you would encounter a disconcerting lack of safety restraints and untold numbers of potentially hazardous pathogens."

"Then it appears that the decision has been made." Ada accepted.

They all piled into Leonard's car agreeing to drop Sheldon off at the apartment. Sheldon shook his head; he wanted no part of any shelter. From the apartment he would call Geno's, it was Thursday after all. Leonard pulled up the curb outside the apartment, people passed on the sidewalk.

"Alright, Sheldon, see you later." Leonard said to his friend as he climbed out of the car. Penny coming home from her shift walked up.

"Hi guys! How was the comic book store?" She asked. Raj shook his hand in a so-so fashion. Leonard swallowed hard and looked around nervously; things were still awkward from that one night of drunken sex weeks ago.

"It was satisfactory, though Stuart is determined in his folly over who would take up the mantle of Batman. Also we are in the middle of discharging a good deed." Sheldon reported.

"Oh?"

"Yes, Miss Mason is stranded in Pasadena. Leonard offered to drive her to a pawn shop so that she might raise money for her stay." Sheldon explained. Penny looked further into Leonard's car.

"Hi, I'm Penny."

"Hello, I'm Ada."

"How long are you stuck here for?" Penny asked.

"I don't know, a few days. Less than a week certainly, my father will find a way to bring me home before then."

"Do you have a place to crash?"

"There might be a bed at a shelter." Ada answered.

"If you don't mind a messy apartment and a small couch, you can crash with me. I live across the hall from Leonard and Sheldon."

"I thank you for your generosity, but I couldn't possibly impose." Ada responded, gratitude clear on her face. Penny couldn't help but smile in return.

"Well, if you change your mind have Leonard call me. Good luck on getting home." Penny said and turned to enter the building. Leonard had put the car in gear and started to pull away when he heard two shrieks and one of his car doors open. Leonard slammed the brake and car lurched to a stop. Leonard, Raj and Howard bolted from the vehicle. Ada was already some yards away.

"Penny, are you alright?" Sheldon asked as he helped her up.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Penny said. She started to jog a little back down the sidewalk.

"What happened?" Leonard asked.

"Some jerk stole my purse!" Penny yelled. Raj pointed and ran down the street.

"Oh man!" Howard breathed and ran after him.

It was over before any of them reached Ada. She had caught up to the thief. They watched as she spun the man around, using every one of his joints against him. They heard an unnatural pop as she brought an open handed uppercut to an elbow bent behind his back. A strangled scream escaped the purse snatcher and Ada brought down another blow to his shoulder causing the man to crumple completely to the concrete. He almost fainted from the pain. Ada released him to pick up the leather purse. She looked down on his form with staid fury.

"Get up and flee, wretch." Her voice was thick with malice, and a tiny smirk might have had a home on her face. The criminal, tears flowing unchecked, rolled to his good arm and brought himself up slowly. He staggered down the sidewalk almost blind from pain and breathing heavily as he left their block and disappeared from their sight. Ada turned around, Penny's purse in hand, took a deep breath letting it out slowly, and walked to the waitress and the scientists with a calm face.

"That was amazing! Where did you learn that?" Penny asked astonished as she accepted her purse from Ada.

"Daddy always says that one never knows when fiends and villains will strike."

"Now you have to stay with me. You can go get your money with Leonard, but you will not stay in a shelter while you're here."

"Very well, I accept. Thank you very much. I'm sure my errand will not take long." Ada said without any trace of her previous anger.

"Alright. See you soon." Penny smiled.

Penny held her purse closely and walked swiftly with Sheldon to the door of the apartment building. Ada walked for Leonard's car while Leonard shuffled. Raj and Howard hung back.

"She's like Jason Bourne." Howard breathed.

"No, dude, she's more like Jack Bauer."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Afterwards, over his cheese-less pizza, Leonard suggested that he could give Ada the tour of physics, astrophysics, and engineering buildings at Caltech during her stay. Consequently, Ada spent that morning following Leonard around. He took her through the office and labs of his friends. When they reached Sheldon's office, Sheldon and Raj went through the basics of their work, Sheldon talking and Raj pointing and nodding as needed. Ada surprised Sheldon by asking intelligent questions. She even offered an astute observation, one that might lead to further research.

"Fascinating." Sheldon said.

Seeing that Sheldon was preparing to spend the rest of the morning speaking about this little insight, Leonard quickly moved the tour out of Sheldon's office and into the engineering building. Howard complimented and hit on Ada in flawless Russian to which she replied 'nyet.' Howard laughed and continued to show off his newest project with his usual flair. Somehow, Howard had found a new way to make engineering dirty before nine in the morning. Leonard could almost laugh if he didn't' find it so creepy.

Leonard walked Ada to his office, explaining his own research. Currently, he wasn't conducting experiments. In the "publish or perish" world of professional academia, Leonard had a lot of publishing to do in order to avoid perishing. Despite the "can opener corruption," Leonard was preparing an article for Physics Quarterly.

"So, as you can see, the term Super-Solid is inaccurate. Based on the latest experiments, the Bose-Einstein Condensates really behave more like glass. Isn't that interesting?" Leonard asked. Ada nodded.

"As I recall, you and Dr. Cooper published one of the first papers on the subject." Ada looked at Leonard. He smiled.

"Oh! You follow physics?" He asked. Ada chuckled slightly.

"You could call it a familial pursuit." She said.

"Huh. So, is there anything else you want to see?" Leonard asked.

"I need to go to the bookstore." She said.

"Oh, okay. I'll walk you there." Leonard offered.

"No, thank you. You should write." Ada replied.

"I'll give you directions." Leonard began taking out a post-it. Ada stopped him.

"Oh I know the way. Exit this building on the north side, head directly east to the Firestone Laboratory, and then head directly north. It's just east of the Fairchild Library." Ada supplied. Leonard stared.

"I saw one of the campus maps." Ada explained.

"Okay, we'll see you at lunch then." Leonard smiled at her. Ada shook her head.

"I agreed to go to the Cheesecake Factory for lunch."

"That's not very close." Leonard informed her.

"I know. However, I do have most of the morning to make the journey. You'll see us for Chinese though. I believe that it's her turn to bring it over to the apartment." Ada said.

"Well, okay. Have a good day then." Leonard waved. Ada nodded.

"Good day to you." She said and went out the door. Leonard tapped a few keys on his computer. His article was not going to write itself.

Penny and Ada ascended the stairs with the required orders. Penny smiled. She could hear her friends playing vintage video games already, Mario Kart on the Nintendo 64, if she wasn't mistaken. Raj must have been in the lead, his voice crying out.

"Eat my dust fat, Italian plumber!" Penny laughed. Poor thing. Raj wouldn't be able to say much else, without Howard's help, that night.

"That statement is incorrect. Given the amount of particulates in the air, Howard's Mario would more likely inhale dust rather than ingest it." Sheldon, who else would correct figures of speech?

"Talk all you want, dude. It won't help your driving skills." Raj replied. Penny laughed as she opened the door to 4A.

"Hey guys! Food's here!" Penny announced. Sheldon paused the game and the others began to make room for the food on the coffee table. Ada said hello to all, placed a new drawstring bag in an out of the way place. She walked over to Sheldon's board. She looked at it intently.

"Is this based on our conversation from this morning?" She asked turning to Sheldon. Sheldon's mouth turned up.

"Why yes it is." He affirmed.

"He's been talking about it all day." Howard groaned.

"I mentioned this insight to Dr. Gablehauser. He seemed intrigued. He requested a meeting with you on Monday, and as you are currently unreachable by modern devices, I had to schedule the time. I felt comfortable with specifying nine forty-five that morning as convenient for you." Sheldon informed her. Ada nodded.

"It is. I appreciate your efforts." She replied. Penny was confused.

"You spoke to Sheldon about his work? And you understand it?" She asked. Raj nodded at Penny with wide, intense eyes.

"You've made quite an impression on the department. It's not often that Sheldon speaks well of another's thoughts on theoretical physics, except for maybe Dr. Hawking or Dr. Smoot." Leonard said.

"Thank you." Ada said quietly.

"So you're a physicist?" Penny asked.

"At this particular moment, I am not employed by any university, government, or organization. So, no, I am not a physicist." Ada said walking away from the board.

"You can come to work for me, baby." Howard intoned. Penny shot him a look.

"You're disgusting." She said. Howard nodded, he couldn't argue with the truth. Penny kicked him off of the couch and sat Ada down between her and Sheldon. She and Ada passed out the containers. Penny fielded Sheldon's list.

"And you went to the Green Grocery to get the low sodium soy sauce?"

"Yes."

"And the good mustard?"

"Yes."

"Thank you." He finished.

"So, Ada. Besides being a genius, tell us about yourself." Penny suggested. Sheldon began to lean and reach for his mustard when Ada, while looking at Penny, handed it to him.

"What would you like to know?" Ada asked. She looked to Sheldon. "May I have some?"

"Yes." Sheldon said.

"Oh, I don't know. Anything really. What's the story of Ada?" Penny asked. Ada finished with the mustard.

"Thank you." She said to Sheldon, handing the bottle back. "Well, you know about my current predicament. Perhaps this would be better if you asked questions." Ada said to Penny.

"Okay, where are you from?" Penny started.

"I was born here in Pasadena. I spent much of my childhood here." Ada said.

"Do you have brothers and sisters?"

"I have three brothers." Ada said. Penny smiled slyly.

"So, you're the baby of your family."

"I was for many years."

"Really? Huh. So, what do your brothers do?" Penny continued. Ada took in a deep breath.

"Jonathan is a neuroscientist and neurosurgeon. He's pioneering new techniques which will save the quality of life for his geriatric patients suffering from Alzheimer's and other forms of Dementia. Isaac is head of a multi-million dollar, multi-national company. He is currently negotiating the purchase of a rival company. Myself, you know something about my talents, and Stephen is studying to be a chef."

"It doesn't sound like Stephen fits in with the rest of you." Penny observed.

"He's twelve. His will be a long career; he is already working under one of the best chefs in the world." Ada defended. Penny's eyes bulged.

"Wow, your parents must be geniuses."

"Each in their own way. Daddy is at Cambridge. Mom is more artistic, she writes. One screenplay has recently been made into a film."

"Aww. What's her movie about?"

"It is an autobiographic film about her marriage with my father. She calls it 'romantic comedy.'"

"So your parents have a love story? What brought them together, but don't tell me too much, I want to see this in the theater."

"Conflict, chaos, and crises both personal and professional forced them to recognize certain facts and feelings that they had been ignoring."

"Isn't that always the way? Come, Ada, don't you feel something for me?" Howard asked. Raj snickered a little.

"Guys, come on! I was just getting to the good stuff." Penny complained.

"Any love stories for you?" Penny continued. Ada looked at the floor, no, beyond the floor and into the unstable, fault lined bedrock of southern California.

"I was married precisely one year, three hours, and forty-seven minutes. I had to sell our rings to support myself here." She said, fingering a blue cord around her neck.

"Oh I'm so sorry, sweetie, what happened?"

"David and I were on our way to our anniversary party. An inebriated driver, driving east on westbound lanes collided with our vehicle. I am the sole survivor of that wreck."Ada explained. Penny barely breathed.

"When did this happen?" Howard asked.

"Four months ago." Ada replied. Raj's eyes widened.

"Four months ago? Why are you here instead of with your family?" Leonard asked.

"I do not handle idleness well." She said.

"It looks like someone was watching over you." Penny patted Ada's hand. Ada tilted her head.

"It probably has more to do with the engineering of modern vehicles and the law of large numbers. However, Mom says that that night was the first night that Daddy prayed since Grandma died." Ada paused, remembering. "Daddy's face was the first thing I saw when I woke up. He had to tell me that David died, then he had to tell me that I lost the baby." Ada finished. Penny breathed 'oh my God.'

"I am so sorry." Penny said. Raj nodded with sympathy, even Howard was subdued.

"Let's ask other questions." Sheldon said, "I'll start. Where were you educated?" All eyes went to Sheldon. Leonard's look being full of 'how-can-you-not-understand-what-just-happened-here?' disbelief.

"I received most of my education at my father's knee. However, I have attended several universities including the University of California Berkley." Ada answered. Sheldon regarded her intently.

"You have shown immense intelligence, might I ask what your IQ is?"

"One hundred ninety-three." Ada replied as though she were on a quiz-show. Now Sheldon was surprised. Howard laughed a little.

"Fascinating." Sheldon thought aloud.

"Somehow, I'm not surprised." Leonard said. Raj whispered to Howard.

"Yeah, how many degrees do you hold?" Howard asked for him.

"I have obtained three doctorates and two master's degrees." Ada responded.

"Wait, your actual title is Dr. Mason?" Howard asked. Ada twitched a little.

"Yes. Might I be allowed to eat now? My chicken is beginning to cool." Ada said.

"Yeah, yeah." The others said, or waved. They ate in companionable silence for a few minutes.

"Ugh." Penny almost grunted.

"What's wrong?" Ada asked.

"Nothing, nothing. I had a big lunch on my break. I don't know… I think I'm going to lie down for a while." Penny said, picking up her containers.

"Okay. Feel better." Leonard said watching, but not-watching her go.

"Thanks, see you boys tomorrow." Penny said going out the door. The door shut behind her. Howard shifted back to the couch.

"Who's up for one more round of Mario Kart? Ada, do you want to be Peach?" Howard asked.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"How long did you guys race last night?" Penny asked Ada groggily.

"We played until Yoshi beat Wario in a death match, not much past eleven last night." Ada said getting up.

"Ah, so Raj won. Good for him. Did you play?" Penny smiled.

"Yes, I came in a respectable third. Leonard's Wario ran me off the course and I couldn't recover in time." Ada recounted.

"Yeah, they take their video games very seriously." Penny said.

"I can make breakfast this morning. Mom says I make a mean pancake." Ada offered. Penny shook her head.

"All I want is coffee." Penny said.

"Do you have milk?" Ada asked. Penny walked to her fridge and bowed her head.

"No. I'll have to go over there and get some." Penny said.

"Let me, I'm already dressed. How much milk do you take?" Ada asked.

"I don't know, just some. Whatever you think's good. Here's a cup for it." Penny said handing her a mug. Ada took and left 4B.

Ada crossed the hall and knocked on 4A. There was a pause before Leonard's voice called out.

"Come in, it's open."

"Good morning." Ada said coming in. Leonard was watching TV. Sheldon looked up from his spot on the couch.

"Am I to infer from the mug you are holding that Penny has run out of milk? I told her on Tuesday that she needed to go shopping." Sheldon observed.

"Would you be willing to spare some?" Ada asked.

"Yes, of course. It is part of our friendship paradigm." Sheldon said getting up and taking the mug. "She takes an average of fifty milliliters for her coffee. Shall I pour you a portion as well?" Sheldon asked.

"No thank you. I don't drink coffee."

"That's wise." Sheldon said, approving his own decision to forgo coffee. "Did you know that until the seventeenth century no coffee plants grew outside of Eastern Africa or the Arabian Peninsula? They blanched the beans to make them infertile in order to prevent competition in the market. Baba Budan, an Indian pilgrim to Mecca, smuggled fertile beans back with him to India and cultivated plants there in the sixteen hundreds. This of course made coffee and other products more accessible in the world's markets." He continued while precisely pouring milk into the mug. Ada smiled.

"No, I had not heard that." She said as she took the mug back from Sheldon.

"What are your plans for today?" Leonard asked.

"I don't know." Ada replied.

"We're going to play some paintball today, you want to come?" Leonard asked.

"Perhaps. I'll deliver this first." Ada said gesturing with the mug. Ada walked out of Leonard and Sheldon's apartment and came to the door of 4B and stopped. That particularly distressing sound of someone retching their guts up reached the hall. Sheldon came out of his door. Ada knocked on 4B and went in.

"I could hear you in the hall. Is there something I can do for you?" Ada asked. Penny came from the altar of the porcelain god.

"No, it's probably just the Chinese from last night. I'll just take today off from work and eat some soup." Penny said, keeping a hand on the wall. Soft knocks on the door jamb announced Sheldon's presence. Both women allowed him to finish his routine.

"Increasing one's fluid intake is the recommended course of action. Also remember to take in electrolytes, though don't drink juice or sports drinks. The sugar would cause further distress. If one is to ingest food, chicken soup would be best. Studies…" He advised when Penny cut him off.

"Yeah thanks, sweetie." Penny said waving her hand.

"I can stay here and assist you." Ada offered.

"No. No, you go and do something with the boys. I'll be fine. it's nothing that I haven't been through before." Penny insisted.

"The social constructs of the friendship paradigm suggest that one's friends stay to nurse an ill friend. As you fulfilled the role for me when I was sick, reciprocity is required." Sheldon argued.

"What about the time I fell in my shower? You were reciprocitizing there." Penny asked.

"Penny, the verb is 'reciprocate.' That was when you were injured. This is clearly a different circumstance." Sheldon countered. Penny gave a frustrated sigh.

"No. Go splatter paint on thirteen year old kids. That's what you usually do on Saturdays." Penny said. Sheldon drew himself up.

"Very well, but don't say I ignored this social construct. I suppose this means that you will not be available for our Saturday spaghetti with hotdogs." Sheldon said.

"I don't know, sweetie, we'll see what happens from here." Penny said.

"It seems that I too will go and splatter paint on some children. Promise, though, that if you need anything that you will call one of them?" Ada asked. Penny smiled slightly and nodded.

"Yes, I promise. Now get out of here." Penny agreed. With that both Ada and Sheldon left 4B and Penny to her sick-bed.

The weary warriors returned from the field of battle. All of them showed the evidence of a fierce war, the blue paint of the enemy dried against their armor. Not one was unscarred.

"Now we're losing to menopausal women?" Leonard complained, starting up the stairs.

"You don't know, man, but those hot flashes can make them fierce." Howard said.

"They won't enjoy their success for long. The rate I saw them imbibe excessively caffeinated beverages suggests that they will soon be succumbing to pelvic fractures brought on by osteoporosis." Sheldon said with distain.

"The scourge of Red Bull, when will they learn?" Howard mocked. Raj snickered. They reached the landing of the fourth floor. Ada went to 4B and knocked.

"We're back. Do you need anything?" Ada asked, opening the door. "You do not look well." She added seriously on seeing Penny. Penny got up and came toward the door, but hung back. Her face was puffy and red.

"No, I'm not." She said.

"Do you need to go to the hospital?" Leonard asked, coming toward 4B. Sheldon hovered in the hall, not getting close, but trying to stay where he might be able to assist if called upon. Penny shook her head.

"It's probably just the bug that's going around. I'm sorry. I don't want to 'expose' you to it, so you're on your own tonight, guys."

"I assume that means me as well." Ada said.

"Yeah, I'm sorry. I'm sure that it will clear up soon. I'm sure that Leonard and Sheldon wouldn't mind if you crashed on their couch. You've got your stuff?" Penny asked.

"Yeah, Ada, you could stay with us. We have plenty of room." Leonard said. Sheldon looked at him. Ada stepped back and nodded.

"Yes." She said bringing her bag closer to her.

"Sorry again." Penny said, closing her door.

The day progressed. The proper food purchased and brought to 4A, it wasn't an uncomfortable Saturday evening. Klingon Boggle was the order of the day. Ada held charge over the official Klingon Dictionary. Howard again tried to pass-off a Yiddish word for Klingonese. Ada rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"No." She said. Raj whispered to Howard.

"I know it was desperate, but look at my score!" Howard exclaimed. Raj shook his head. Leonard laughed.

"At least try to make up a decent definition next time. I don't know the Klingon word for meatloaf, but I'm pretty sure reykhern isn't it." Leonard smiled.

"Don't be ridiculous. There is no Klingon word for meatloaf." Sheldon corrected. Howard leaned over.

"You're a lot more fun than Sheldon's ex." He told Ada, smiling. Ada raised an eyebrow.

"Thank you." She said. Sheldon scoffed.

"Amy Farrah Fowler is not my ex. We never entered into any sort of friendship paradigm. While I admit it was pleasant to make her acquaintance, she attempted to make ridiculous demands on my time. Now gentlemen, and lady, you will have to play the next round on your own. I have laundry to attend to." Sheldon said, exiting with his basket and clothes folder.

"Anyone up for a game of Yiddish Boggle?" Howard asked.

"No." Leonard said. They continued to play the Klingon version.

After Sheldon returned, and finished mopping the floor with his friends, the games ended and were put away. The food containers were properly disposed of. Howard and Raj said their goodnights. Sheldon brought a pillow and a blanket.

"Seeing as you will be staying with us, there are a few items to address." He said to Ada. "One: Please see to your ablutions and your bodily functions before seven twenty tomorrow morning…" Sheldon continued giving Ada his list of requirements. She agreed to each one. Each wished the other goodnight and retired for the evening.

Sheldon frowned. It was one forty-eight in the morning. He felt restless. Sheldon huffed and sat up. He heard something, very quiet, but something none the less. He strained his ears. Perplexed, he listened to the patterns. Sheldon couldn't quite make them out. He got up; he needed a glass of warm milk anyway. He put on his robe of the day and slippers and opened his door. He saw a shaded light coming from the living room. He walked to the kitchen and saw Ada sitting in the middle of the couch. She held her head in her hands. A single lamp was on; she had modified the shade to allow less light through. A leather journal and pen lay neatly on the coffee table.

"Oh writing. That's what I heard." Sheldon said. Ada looked up.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to disturb you." She apologized.

"I wasn't aware of your activities. I came to warm a cup of milk. I realize the couch offers no substantial lumbar support, is it disturbing your sleep cycle?" He asked.

"No. I haven't tried to sleep yet." She admitted.

"A regular sleep cycle is vital for cognitive function. You are doing yourself no favors by ignoring it." Sheldon advised. Ada smiled.

"I know." She said. Sheldon picked a glass and poured his milk.

"I see that you're working on something, physics perhaps?" Sheldon asked.

"Yes, I'm sure you understand the demands of the process." Ada said. Sheldon nodded.

"If you should require it, you can have a glass of warm milk." He offered.

"Thank you. I will make some when I progress a little further." She said.

"You're welcome. Please return my furnishings to their original states before you sleep." Sheldon said taking his milk out of the microwave. Ada nodded.

"Of course." She said.

"Sleep well." Sheldon said as he left for his room. Sheldon closed his door and made himself comfortable. The milk was the perfect temperature. He laid down contentedly. The last thing he heard was the near silent sounds of pen against paper.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Leonard came out to the kitchen. Ada slept on the couch, head facing away from the door. He saw her bag and an empty glass on the coffee table. Leonard tried to be quiet. However, kitchens are noisy places. After a cupboard slapped closed, Ada sat up.

"Sorry." Leonard said.

"It's alright," she said, looking at a clock, "I need to wake now anyway." She picked up her glass from earlier that morning and washed it.

"You had some milk last night? Be warned, Sheldon might call you a milk thief." Leonard said.

"I don't believe so, it was his idea." Ada said.

"Really? Neither of you slept well last night?" Leonard asked.

"I couldn't tell you how he slept. I saw him but briefly. I had a lot on my mind." Ada explained.

"Oh." Leonard shrugged. Sheldon joined them, bringing his own glass.

"Good morning." Sheldon said.

"After everyone's washed and dressed, why don't we go see a movie?" Leonard asked.

"Leonard, we need groceries." Sheldon said.

"Really? We hardly ever cook, the cereal boxes are not in danger of becoming empty we even have a loaf of bread. Really Sheldon, why would we need to go shopping?" Leonard asked. Sheldon reached into the fridge.

"I need more milk." He said. Leonard sighed.

"If you are going to the grocery store, would it be possible to pick up some groceries for my hostess? I recall that she has no milk either." Ada asked.

"Sure, we'd be happy to." Leonard said, defeated.

"I'll go get a list." Ada said, picking up her bag. She knocked on 4B.

"Hello?" Ada knocked again.

"Leonard has agreed to go grocery shopping, could I have a list of items you need?" She asked, speaking to the door. Penny opened the door, looked around for her neighbors, and pulled Ada in, shutting the door behind them.

"I need to talk to someone." Penny said, "You're my best bet." She added. Ada looked at Penny.

"Alright, but Leonard is expecting a list of things to get while he's out." Ada said.

"Yeah, just tell Leonard that I need the usual." Penny said quickly. Ada nodded. She heard the sound of 4A opening.

"Ada, we're leaving. Do you know what Penny wants?" Leonard's voice called out. Ada closed her eyes and opened them slowly. She took a breath and opened the apartment door. Leonard and Sheldon waited.

"It appears that this illness has not abated. As I have now been exposed to any number of different pathogens I believe that it would be best if I remained here." Ada said.

"Penny's really sick, isn't she?" Leonard asked. Ada nodded in response.

"What are Penny's symptoms?" Sheldon asked.

"There are no additional symptoms than those already observed. Also, she asked me to tell you that she needs 'the usual' items from the store." Ada reported.

"How then are we supposed to be able to purchase the proper over the counter medication?" Sheldon asked.

"Use your best judgment." Ada replied. Sheldon raised an eyebrow in thought.

"Sure, take good care of her while we're out." Leonard said.

"Of course." Ada said. Leonard and Sheldon descended the stairs. Ada watched and listened. Satisfied, she closed Penny's door.

"Thanks. I really need someone to talk to; I was beginning to go nuts here by myself." Penny said. Ada cleared a spot on Penny's couch.

"What is really wrong?" Ada asked. Penny fidgeted, and sat down.

"I'm pregnant. I don't know what to do." Penny said. Ada nodded.

"You knew, didn't you?" Penny realized.

"I only suspected earlier. I knew for certain when you brought me in here just know. As you pulled me in here, it became quite clear to me that whatever the real cause of your discomfort you do not wish to share such information with your friends at this time. That is most likely to happen when the reason is embarrassing or would cause a strain on certain friendships. An unplanned pregnancy is one such cause." Ada explained. Penny sat back.

"What is another cause?" She asked dangerously.

"Usually that would be criminal behavior." Ada replied with a slight smile. Penny laughed.

"Thanks for that. But really, what am I going to do? What do you think I should do?" Penny pressed. Ada frowned.

"I can't make those decisions for you." She said.

"Yeah, but you have an opinion." Penny said.

"My only advice is to think very carefully. Don't let fear drive your decisions, especially ones you can't unmake. Whatever your ideology, your life and well being are on the line." Ada said.

"So, you don't like abortion?" Penny asked.

"I didn't say that." Ada corrected.

"How am I supposed take care of a baby when I can barely take care of myself?" Penny asked.

"You don't have to be alone. Am I correct in thinking that Leonard is the father?" Ada asked. Penny nodded.

"You have a few options there." Ada said.

"I don't love Leonard, not like that anyway. Why did I have to do this stupid thing? He'll ask me to marry him. I don't want to be stuck in a marriage just because I got knocked up." Penny said. Ada said nothing, allowing Penny to think.

"If I say no, he'll be crushed. I don't want to lose the friendships I have." Penny thought aloud.

"Whatever happens from this point, marriage, termination, or something else, your relationships cannot help but to change. Frightening? Yes. I can only tell you to think carefully." Ada pointed out.

"I've been thinking since yesterday!" Penny exclaimed.

"Clearly with the wrong half of your brain." Ada said gently, "Now is the time to be brutally honest with yourself and Leonard. That requires some logic." Penny sighed. She couldn't run from herself anymore.

"Will you stay here and keep me company?" Penny asked.

"Yes. Is there anything here that I could bring you?"

"No. This place is pretty empty." Penny said. The two women settled back on the couch in silence.

The sounds of Leonard and Sheldon's steps on the stairs broke Penny from her thoughts. She heard the rustle of paper bags.

*knock, *knock, *knock,

"Ada and Penny."

*knock, *knock, *knock,

"Ada and Penny."

*knock, *knock, *knock,

"Ada and Penny."

Ada got up off the couch and opened the door. She found two paper sacks on the floor in front of the door of 4B. Leonard carried another sack bound for his apartment. Sheldon retreated to his door.

"Sheldon, Penny doesn't have the plague; it's only the flu or something." Leonard complained. Sheldon readied himself to protest, but Leonard continued.

"We got her some basic cold-flu medications with her usual groceries. How's she doing?" Leonard asked Ada.

"Better. I'll thank you for her." Ada said.

"Are you keeping track of your bodily functions and observing for possible symptoms in case what Penny has is highly communicable?" Sheldon asked.

"As of yet, I show no symptoms of illness, nor any obvious immune system responses." Ada answered. Leonard shook his head.

"Alright, keep us posted." He said entering 4A. Sheldon followed and stopped at the threshold.

"Based on Penny's symptoms, I used my best judgment." He said cryptically.

"Understood." Ada replied, picking up Penny's groceries. Both doors shut simultaneously. Penny got up from the couch.

"What was that about?" She asked. Ada moved into the kitchen and began unpacking. She pulled out the eggs, milk, cough syrup, decongestants, and bread. She stacked cans of organic, low-sodium chicken soup. Ada smirked at the seemingly random fruits and vegetables she found in one sack.

"Wow, they got me a lot of stuff. What am I supposed to do with spinach?" Penny asked. Ada continued unpacking and organizing. She pulled out and a carton of Triple Chocolate Death ice cream and a telling bottle of vitamins.

"Oh my God! They know?" Penny almost shrieked. Ada quickly shushed her.

"No, they do not know. These are only suspicions." Ada said.

"So they suspect that I'm pregnant?" Penny asked.

"I don't think Leonard has a clue. Do you think for a second that Leonard would leave you here by yourself if he did suspect?" Ada reasoned.

"So that's what Sheldon was talking about." Penny realized. Ada nodded.

"He seems to have covered every possibility, ice cream for extreme emotional distress, medication and chicken soup for a viral infection, healthy foods and vitamins for early pregnancy." Ada listed. Penny began to shake.

"Sheldon can't keep a secret. The last time he tried, he moved out of his apartment and wound up on valium." Penny said. Ada thought to herself.

"It is only a secret if he knows; which he doesn't, not for certain anyway. He is conducting an experiment." Ada said.

"I need to do something about this today." Penny said to herself.

The hours wound by. Triple Chocolate Death met its fate. Ada listened to Penny as she envisioned various scenarios. Day became prevning which then became evening. Penny listened as Raj and Howard came up. Penny heard the chatter about some classic, rubber-masked, science fiction playing at a 'well loved' Cineplex somewhere in Pasadena.

"Maybe I should wait 'til tomorrow." Penny said.

"The longer you wait, the harder it will be. Does that mean you've made a decision?" Ada asked. Penny nodded.

"Shall I bring Leonard here?" Ada asked

"Will you? I don't want to face the rest of them yet." Penny asked.

"Alright. Do you need me here for moral support, or do you want me to wait in 4A?" Ada asked. Penny sighed and thought.

"I think that it would be better if I told Leonard by myself. Either way, they'll figure it out, right?" Penny asked.

"It's likely." Ada said, getting up. "I'll return when it's all over."

"Thanks." Penny said, straightening up her living room a bit. Ada left 4B and closed the door behind her. She took a moment to breathe and knocked on 4A. Leonard opened the door.

"Hey, Ada, what's going on?" Leonard asked.

"Your presence has been requested across the hall. May I wait here?" Ada asked.

"That depends." Sheldon's voice said. "Are you carrying some kind of pathogen?" Sheldon asked.

"No." Ada said.

"How do you know that?" Sheldon asked.

"The cause of her particular symptomatology is not communicable." Ada said. Sheldon's eyes widened.

"What's going on?" Leonard asked seriously. Ada shook her head.

"Your answers are across the hall." She replied, stepping into 4A. Leonard left. Ada sighed deeply. She shuffled to the couch and sat in the middle seat.

"How bad is it?" Howard asked.

"Unless you leave right now, I don't believe you're going to the movies tonight." Ada said.

"Penny's pregnant." Sheldon supplied. Raj almost drowned in his soda. Howard waxed sickly white. Raj, recovering, whispered to Howard who nodded.

"So what does Penny want to do about it?" He relayed.

The world as they knew it came to a sudden and loud end. Everyone in 4A heard Leonard yell. Penny's voice rose to meet Leonard's. Raj ran close-kneed to the bathroom.

"She didn't tell me," Ada said, "however, Leonard finds her terms unacceptable."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

The yelling continued for only a few more minutes. Leonard stomped back to his apartment and threw open the door.

"Get the hell out of my apartment!" He yelled at Ada. Ada rose from the couch to her full height.

"I will do so, but there is no reason to yell at me." She replied in a measured voice.

"No? You've wrecked my life! You meddled where you don't belong! She'll keep the baby, but won't marry me. She said something about using the proper side of her brain to think about this. Where would Penny get a phrase like that from?" Leonard showed no signs of calming down.

"I only listened to her describe her concerns, which are numerous. I proscribed no single course of action." Ada replied coldly.

"So what are you going to do?" Howard asked.

"If she wants to do this without me, she can do this without my money too." Leonard stormed.

"You are not going to support your child? Leonard, how will Penny be able to cope? Penny is my friend; do you know how this will affect me?" Sheldon asked, shocked and bewildered.

"I don't know and I don't care. She gets to make her decisions, so I get to make mine, and you'll just have to live with it." Leonard snapped.

"How exceptionally childish. This argument is equivalent to the school yard, 'you're not playing right, so I'm taking my toys and going home.' Not marrying you is not equivalent to you not being involved." Ada observed.

"Why are you still here? Get out! Go 'help' Penny some more. Why don't you move in with her and help if you have all the answers?" Leonard turned on her. Everyone stared at him.

"Everybody out!" Leonard shouted. Howard dashed to collect Raj from the bathroom. Sheldon had nowhere else to go except for his room. Ada left 4A. Leonard plopped onto the couch and cried. Ada found Penny sobbing in 4B.

"What am I going to do?" She cried. Ada stayed up with her most of the night.

Monday morning offered no relief from the tension. Ada decided that she would ride the bus to Caltech. Sheldon argued against it. However, Leonard was in no mood to grant favors. Still living to schedule and arriving at Caltech at the appointed time, Leonard stormed to his office, leaving Sheldon in the parking lot. From where he stood, Sheldon made Ada's form out from amongst students and faculty. She walked peacefully to her meeting with Gablehauser.

The day progressed quietly, no one speaking to the others, but chatting at length within themselves. It was not an entirely unproductive environment, merely uncomfortable. Sheldon and Raj made strides in their work. A newly-minted graduate shot Howard down in his quest for coital bliss. Leonard worked on his paper for Physics Quarterly. It was almost normal. The four of them met for lunch and found their empty table. All of them looked around, no Ada. Howard shrugged.

"Can we blame her? I'm not sure I want to eat with us." Raj nodded, ready to run to the restroom at the first sign of trouble.

"I don't want to talk about her or last night." Leonard said taking his seat. Sheldon followed suit.

"It will be nice to have a conversation that is not wrapped up in the drivel of personal problems or relationships. I certainly have no desire to speak on Leonard's impending fatherhood." Sheldon arranged his napkins. The others agreed silently.

They ate silently. No one could come up with another topic. They avoided the looks their colleagues were giving and the looks on each other's faces. Only Sheldon looked up when Ada entered the cafeteria. She nodded to him and continued.

"Dude, is this how it's going to be from now on? I won't be able to take this for long." Raj blurted. Howard agreed.

"Look, Leonard, I know that you're upset. I would be too, but you at least owe Ada an apology and you probably owe one to Penny too. Fix this or Raj and I will find another table and you'll be stuck alone with Sheldon." Howard gestured. Leonard forked his food angrily.

"I'm not talking about this. Penny made her decisions, now she has to live with them."

"Yeah, but she won't be alone." Howard pressed. They all watched as Ada, tray in hand, walk toward the empty table in the corner behind them. Leslie Winkle also made her way toward them.

"Here's Leslie, act normal, act normal." Leonard said quickly trying to look anywhere besides at the small brunette headed their way.

"Oh, what's wrong, Dr. Dumbass? Did you and your pet have a fight?" Leslie Winkle's face twisted in glee.

"Don't be ridiculous, Dr. Mason is not my pet. Nor have I quarreled with her." Sheldon said, "Leonard had the fight." Leslie eyed Leonard carefully.

"Really? What about?"

"Nothing." Leonard mumbled. Barry Kripke joined Leslie.

"It looks like I owe you five bucks, Barry. Dumbass says that Hofstadter had the fight. He says that it's nothing. I, for one, don't buy it." Leslie smirked to Kripke

"You must have done something, Hofstedeh. I heawed Wolowitz thweaten you with Coopeh's sowe company."

"Is her work better than yours?" Leslie asked, laughing. All six of them turned when they heard the sound of a tray placed softly on the table.

"So this is what one does when one's research is at a dead end. I have always wondered. Doctors Winkle and Kripke, I presume." Ada said calmly.

"Yeah." Leslie responded, sizing up the other woman.

"Wait, you've heard of them?" Leonard asked. Ada's pocket made a chirping crescendo.

"Yes." Ada said, checking her phone. "Daddy always told me to watch out for clowns. If you'll excuse me, gentlemen, I have to take this." Ada left, leaving the tray behind.

"What'd she mean by that?" Kripke asked.

"I can only assume that she is referencing the fact that clowns are a ghoulish distraction whose antics are of no significance, and that you are similar to them." Sheldon supplied. Definitely not crushed, Leslie and Kripke retreated from the table. Some things were simply too odd to endure. Sheldon almost beamed, then his face snapped, clearly perplexed.

"Sheldon," Howard sighed, "what's wrong now?" Sheldon turned to his friends.

"If it has something to do with Ada or Penny, I don't want to hear it." Leonard interjected stony faced. Raj and Howard resumed their staring contest with their lunches, leaving Sheldon open-mouthed and mute. He tried a different tack.

"Howard, you're an engineer. What are the probabilities of a 'dead' cell phone receiving and displaying a message?"

"Depends on the type of 'dead', but generally near zero."

"Interesting."

Sheldon looked around as minutes passed. No one noticed. Ada had not returned yet. He looked at her tray; her soup was dropping to unsafe temperatures.

At length the four of them finished, Sheldon dumped Ada's tray.

"Sheldon, she might have come back for it." Howard said.

"No. Her soup was an orgy ridden cesspool of microorganisms. She would have never attempted to consume it." Sheldon said.

Raj groaned.

Sheldon strode down the hall to his office with a growing feeling of unease. Raj went to Howard's office, stating obviously false reasons. No, that was not the reason. If anything, Sheldon was relieved to have some time away from his colleague. He unlocked his office and found that it had been disturbed. Someone had unauthorized access, Sheldon froze with shock.

Nothing was missing, but added. Two sealed letters, a key on a blue cord, and one leather journal lay neatly on his desk. He saw the key on a blue cord, an obvious copy of his own. He saw the envelopes, one addressed to the four of them and a larger one addressed to Penny herself, but Sheldon's focus sat heavily on ruddy-brown leather embossed with the symbol for infinity. The book had a gravity all its own, pulling all other mass in the universe towards it. Sheldon reached for it but heard the tell-tale sounds of Raj returning. Suddenly the imperative of hiding the book filled Sheldon. It defied explanation, but he did it anyway. Infinity would have to wait. The journal safe in his messenger-bag, Sheldon pocketed the copied key.

Raj shuffled through the open door, eyeing the letters.

"Ada's gone isn't she?"

"Evidently." He wouldn't lie, he just wouldn't say anything. Sheldon calculated his probabilities for success. The results were not promising; however there was no better course of action. Raj simply nodded.

"Well? What does she say?" Raj gestured to the letters.

"I don't know. We don't live in a universe that allows humans to possess psychic powers."

Raj waved off the statement.

"I suppose we have to open it." Sheldon continued.

The letter stated Ada's anticipation for her return home, and such thanks and appreciation as social convention demanded. It quickly made the rounds.

Howard and Raj smiled. Their strange acquaintance vanished and both were relieved. Each secretly hoped that some sort of normal would return. Leonard wished that he could have at least apologized to Ada, not sorry to see her go otherwise. Sheldon mimicked his friends. He could not feel relief like the others did. He still had Penny's letter and appointed himself the deliverer. She and Leonard were not speaking.

It was late, but Sheldon knew she was home.

*knock, *knock, *knock,

"Penny."

*knock, *knock, *knock,

"Penny."

*knock, *knock, *knock,

"Penny."

"What do you want, Sheldon?" She asked, opening the door. He saw what he believed to be her fear, and her anger. He also saw her apartment in a state of extreme disorganization. He was about to comment when Penny repeated her question.

"It appears that Ada no longer requires your hospitality."

"I wondered where she was. She find somewhere else to crash? Not that I blame her, things here are pretty crazy."

"She went home." Sheldon stated simply. "She left this for you in my office."

Penny took the letter and motioned Sheldon in. Upon opening the letter, she shrieked. Sheldon jumped.

"There's over five hundred dollars in here!"

"Oh. I gathered that she left you with some funds to cover the cost of her stay from handling the envelope."

"Sheldon," Penny turned. "She didn't cost five hundred smackaroos. Do you know what this means? I can cover rent and buy decent food, and buy comfy shoes!" She paced the living room reading the letter.

"May I inquire as to what she wrote to you?" Sheldon asked sitting down in his 'Penny's apartment' spot. Penny smiled.

"She says that I'm a strong woman who shouldn't let fear or Leonard push me around. She says that I'm not alone, I have friends. She says that no matter what happens next, that I'll make the best of it and it won't be too bad. I'm going to choose to believe her."

Sheldon chose to believe her too.

Sheldon returned to 4A. Leonard glared at him.

"Well?" Leonard demanded. Sheldon paused.

"Ada meant more to Penny. I suppose that the reverse is true as well. Ada left Penny some money to cover the expenses she incurred as well as for gratitude."

"Oh." Leonard turned on his heel. "I'm going to bed now." Leonard would have the 'you-can't-be-her-friend-right-now' conversation with Sheldon later. Sheldon let him go and waited. He waited for Leonard to settled and at least half asleep, approximately thirty-three minutes and sixteen seconds, if Leonard was stressed. All the while a siren called Sheldon from his messenger-bag.

Sheldon took the journal to his room, sneaking silently down the hall. His nerves surprised him. Logically, they shouldn't be there. However, Ada had guarded this book carefully. No one had gotten close to it. She wrote in it furiously for the past few days. Sheldon had heard the pen on paper through his bedroom door. He lifted the cover, read the cover page, and the universe as he knew it came to a silent end. It read:

Temporal Displacement Theory

Dr. Sheldon Lee Cooper, Ph.D.

Below this was a post-it note which read:

I love you, Daddy. You'll see me in the near future.

Dr. Ada Lynn Cooper, Ph.D.

Twitching uncontrollably, Sheldon closed the book.


End file.
